There was a time when the word condiment conjured images of red and yellow squeeze bottles of ketchup and mustard, plus humdrum staples like mayonnaise jars and Tabasco.

Then, ethnic food went mainstream, and exciting new condiments started popping up on our plates and on menus around the country. Sriracha, in particular, is everywhere, but the condiment mania doesn’t stop there—chefs have started putting Korean gochujang in tacos, fish sauce on chicken wings, and piri-piri in sandwiches. So why shouldn’t you do the same at home?

Think about it: Every time you order takeout food from the local Chinese, Indian, or Greek place, you get a ton of little plastic containers of condiments that inevitably end up sitting in the back of your fridge for the next three months. It’s time to bone up on the basics—how is Portugese piri-piri any different from Korean gochujang? why does fish sauce smell so funky? what’s in tzatziki?—and figure out how to put those dips, spreads, and sauces to use in your kitchen.

Start your crash-course on the most common ethnic condiments to show up in your takeout bag, and find out how to use the leftovers in your own cooking.

Hoisin

Place of origin: China
What it is: Think of hoisin sauce as a Chinese version of American BBQ sauce. It's a dark, thick concoction that's a perfect trifecta of sweet, spicy, and salty. Made from sweet potato (or another type of starch), soybean paste, vinegar, garlic, and red chili peppers, it's typically used as a sauce base for a range of Chinese dishes (like mu shu pork), but it works just as well as a meat glaze.
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Gochujang

Place of origin: Korea
What it is: Meet gochujang, your soon-to-be favorite condiment, and your new best friend in the kitchen (Sriracha, sit down). You may have run into it before, possibly while enjoying the sweet heat of Korean fried chicken, or inhaling a bowl of Korean bimbimbap. The paste is made from red chillies, glutinous rice, and soy beans, mixed and left to ferment in the sun. Gochujang is amazingly versatile—use it in stews, soups, marinades, sauces, and just about anything else. Trust us, you're making a mistake if you throw a drop of this stuff out.
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Green Chutney

Place of origin: India
What it is: At its most basic, green chutney is a straight-up blend of cilantro, mint, chillies, spices, and lemon juice. At its most complicated, it can include onions, yoghurt, coconut, or peanuts. One of the main condiments of Indian cuisine, it's usually served as a dipping sauce with fried snacks like samosas or grilled kebabs, but it can also be used as sandwich spread, meat marinade, salad dressing, and an all-purpose food topping.
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Harissa

Place of origin: Tunisia
What it is: Though it has a spicy kick, harissa isn't just any hot sauce. A crucial condiment across North Africa, it has an intense smoky flavor that puts it in its own cateogry. While hundreds of variations exist across countries and households, the main ingredients are always the same: hot peppers, garlic, olive oil, coriander, and caraway.
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Ponzu

Place of origin: Japan
What it is: Ponzu is similar to a vinaigrette—sour and complex, with a thin, watery consistency. And, as is the case of vinaigrette, the bottled version is never quite as awesome as the from-scratch version. Ponzu is traditionally made by simmering rice vinegar, mirin (rice wine), katsuobushi (bonito fish flakes), and konbu (seaweed) together, before the star ingredient is added: juice from a bitter orange like yuzu or sudachi. It's commonly used as a dip for shabu-shabu, soba, sashimi, or tataki (thinly sliced seared meat), but it goes great with tempura too, or even as a salad dressing. Bottled versions are always sold with soy sauce mixed in, because ponzu, on it's own, doesn't have a very long shelf life. The container you get with your takeout Japanese food should be the real deal.
Use the leftovers for:

Tzatziki

Country of origin: Greece
What it is: The best bud of gyros and doner kebabs everywhere, tzatziki is a creamy, tangy Greek yogurt dip with crisp cucumbers and a serious kick of garlic and dill. If the takeout Greek spot skimps, it's so easy to make more at home. All you need are the basic ingredients, some intuition, and fingers to dip and taste along the way.
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Duck Sauce

Place of origin: U.S.
What it is: Don't think of the orange, translucent packets of duck sauce you get with American-Chinese takeout—the real stuff (from a bottle) comes with some pretty intense sweet and sour flavors, thanks to ingredients like dried plum or apricot, vinegar, sugar, and spices that have nothing to do with duck. It's most commonly eaten with egg rolls or other deep-fried food, but it's also a wonderful glaze for meats.
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Piri-Piri

Place of origin: Portugal
What it is: Named after a spicy, citrusy pepper (also known as African bird's eye chili), this hot sauce is what Nando's built an empire on—it's a sauce that gives a slow, bright burn without ruining your ability to taste anything else on your plate. While it mainly consists of olive oil infused with dried piri-piri peppers, some versions include garlic, lemon, ginger, herbs, and some sort of alcohol. Use it as a marinade, dab it onto fried eggs, add it into sauces, or splash it onto whatever needs a fiery kick.
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Tahini

Place of origin: Middle East
What it is: Anyone who likes falafel and shawarma has most likely tasted tahini, probably with hummus or baba ganoush. Its smooth consistency is like that of a nut butter (making it a great substitute for peanut butter), except it's made from sesame seeds. And while it's most commonly used in Middle Eastern food, it has so much potential outside those boundaries. Incorporate it into dipping sauces and salad dressing for creaminess and nuttiness.
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Fish Sauce

Place of origin: Vietnamese/Southeast Asia
What it is: You might be surprised that something made from fermenting anchovies, sugar, and salted water can turn into a condiment that improves the flavor of any food it touches. But that's the magic of fish sauce. On it's own, it's intensely briny and has an extremely funky aroma, but it lends a deeply savory flavor to dishes like pad thai, papaya salad, and Pok Pok's famous fish-sauce chicken wings. The key to its culinary dexterity is a high glutamate content, which is the chemical responsible for umami. No wonder it's used as widely in Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea as salt is in the West. Head's up: Fish sauce goes by different names in different countries—nam pla in Thailand, nuoc nam in Vietnam, and patis in the Philippines.
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